Server: Netscape-Commerce/1.12
Date: Tuesday, 26-Nov-96 00:07:03 GMT
Last-modified: Thursday, 15-Jun-95 00:38:00 GMT
Content-length: 2972
Content-type: text/html

<!doctype html public "-//W30//DTD W3 HTML 2.0//EN">

<HTML>


<TITLE>PERSONAL INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE GROUP</TITLE>

<center>
<!WA0><a href="http://clark.lcs.mit.edu"><!WA1><IMG SRC=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/pia/pialine.gif></a>
</center>
<p>
<center>
<table border>
<tr>
	<td><!WA2><img src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/pia/hawley.gif></td>
	<td width=100 rowspan=2><br></td>
	<td><!WA3><img src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/pia/shivers.gif></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> <address><b>Michael Hawley</b>,<br>Assistant Professor<br> of Media Technology</address>
	</td><td><address><b>Olin Shivers</b>,<br>Research Scientist</address></td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<body>
<p>
The rise of the global digital net as the primary
communications medium for the planet is perhaps the most
important technological innovation occuring in society
today. The grand convergence of information
services---through the phone system, news media, video
broadcast and other channels---is by now a common topic in
the public agenda. The Personal Information Architecture
group addresses one of the central questions of this new
technology: how should one interact with the flood of
digital information soon to become available to the
individual? In short, how do you touch a planetful of bits?
<p>
One means toward that goal is the <!WA4><a href="http://clark.lcs.mit.edu/bodynet.html">BodyNet</a>, a kind of
"personal local wireless network" that integrates various
digital information appliances. Interoperability among most
such devices -- watches, cameras, cellular phones, laptop
computers -- is now all but nonexistent, thus restricting
their flexibility and accessibility to the worldwide
digital network. Initial BodyNet work includes the
development of languages and software to coordinate these
personal appliances.
<p>
Another project, called the <!WA5><a href="http://clark.lcs.mit.edu/LOT.html">Livingroom of Tomorrow </a>(LoT),
seeks to re-invent our living spaces so that we can
naturally and comfortably receive this deluge of
information. The <!WA6><a href="http://clark.lcs.mit.edu/LC.html">Library Channel</a> project, meanwhile, is
developing new technologies that will essentially bring the
resources of the public library into the home -- or perhaps
into one's back pocket -- through the BodyNet and the LoT.
<p>
The PIA group collaborates with several outside sources,
including the Library of Congress, the National Geographic
Society, and Scientific American. We also are creating the
"Information Architecture Group," a consortium of furniture
makers and other industrial sponsors who will help design
new, personalized applications for home-based education and
entertainment. MIT resources include the LCS, the
<!WA7><a href=http://www.media.mit.edu/>Media Laboratory</a>, and
the <!WA8><a href=http://alberti.mit.edu/ap/ap.html>School of
Architecture.

</BODY>
<p>
<!WA9><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/contents.html"><!WA10><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/contents_motif.gif></a>
<!WA11><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/sls/sls.html"><!WA12><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/previous_group_motif.gif></a>
<!WA13><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/mac/mac.html"><!WA14><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/next_group_motif.gif></a>

</HTML>
